Removing snow from your driveway can be a back-breaking task if you stick to manual shoveling. Aside from giving you back aches, shoveling is time-consuming and often inefficient during a heavy snowfall. Instead, you should know how to remove snow from driveway without a shovel to save yourself from the discomfort.
While shoveling is a rite of passage for every person during winter, you don’t have to wear the back ache like a badge of honor. There are easier alternatives that will save your time, energy, and sanity.
Below are some of the tried and tested alternatives to the good ol’ shovelin’.
How to remove snow from driveway without a shovel
The following are some of the easiest ways to get rid of snow on your driveway without the manual work of shoveling. If you’re living in a place that gets a lot of snow, you must prepare any of the following options:
1. Use a leaf blower
Your leaf blower comes in handy during winter, too! Instead of burying it in your shed together with other equipment, you should keep it in your garage before the snow falls. Just remember that leaf blowers are more efficient in blowing light and fluffy snow and not the slushy one.
Leaf blowers are efficient in removing thin layers of snow, so it doesn’t accumulate in your yard. A cordless type is the most convenient option since you won’t have to deal with cables or worry about the risk of electrocution. Also, a cordless leaf blower will let you blow snow all over your property.
Moreover, high-powered leaf blowers can remove thicker snow. I suggest that you get gas-powered ones as these pack more airflow than cordless types.
If you don’t have a leaf blower yet, you should consider the Schröder Backpack Leaf Blower. This will be useful during spring as the leaves fall and in winter as snow accumulates on your driveway. It’s a gas-powered model with a 3.7 hp engine that will surely pack a higher airflow.
2. Invest in a snow blower
If a leaf blower isn’t powerful enough to remove snow on your driveway, you should invest in a snow blower instead. These machines are designed to pull snow from the ground and then propel it in a different direction using an adjustable chute.
Overall, snow blowers are like lawn mowers for winter. You can find electric and gas-powered types to suit your needs.
Unlike shoveling, snow blowers use a rotating auger to scoop the snow from the ground. The machine will do this and the only manual work you need to do is press buttons and push the blower around.
Also, snow blowers remove a large amount of snow in every pass. This will let you clean up your driveway faster, which is handy if you’re going to work in the morning or facing an emergency.
If you’re looking for an efficient snow blower that will last many winters, you should consider the PowerSmart 208cc Gas-Powered Snow Blower. It’s equipped with a Briggs & Stratton engine complete with a push-button and pull start. Overall, this is perfect for heavy snowfall and thick snow on your driveway.
3. Use salt to melt the ice
If you don’t have the budget to purchase new equipment, you can use a homemade ice melt or de-icer instead.
To enhance the ice-melting properties of salt, you should mix it with sand. While the sand won’t melt the ice, it will add traction to prevent making your driveway slippery. However, you should note that it will create a muddy slush later on, but much better than falling on your hip as you walk.
Take note that rock salt takes time to melt snow. If you want a faster solution, you can use calcium chloride or magnesium chloride instead. These two options can be bought in supply stores in pellet form.
However, you should know that salt, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride should be kept away from plants. Also, the salt or chloride-laced slush can kill plants nearby just the same.
When using any of these solutions on your driveway, you should keep your pets indoors. Ingestion of salt or chloride solutions can be deadly for cats, dogs, and other animals.
4. Install heated snow mats
Another smart way to remove ice is to place heated snow mats on your driveway before the snow falls. These mats have heating elements inside that will thaw the ice, so it won’t thicken and accumulate on your driveway.
Many of these snow mats have traction surfaces, which makes them a great walkway cover. You can put it in your driveway, porch, front door, and other spots you want to keep snow-free.
On average, heated snow mats can thaw ice at a rate of 2 inches per hour. Other models can melt ice faster, but they will consume a lot of electricity. The good thing with this is you don’t have to do manual work or go outdoors in the middle of a storm.
If you’re looking for one that you can use on your driveway, you can check the HeatTrak Snow Mats. These are designed to be used as walkways and to melt snow or ice. Aside from your driveway, you can also use these mats on stairs and entrances. Feel free to use multiple units to cover the entire length of your driveway.
5. Install a snow plow on your truck
For areas that experience the harshest winters, snow blowers may not be enough. In this case, a snow plow would be a great investment. This can be purchased and installed in front of your truck or SUV. It acts as a giant scoop that can remove swaths of snow and ice in just a single pass.
Most of the time, snow plow kits are used on tractors and ATVs. The good thing is that you can find one designed for passenger vehicles like your SUV.
Take note that snow plows are available in different sizes. Nevertheless, most of it uses a universal two-inch front receiver mounting system. It suits most light-duty trucks and SUVs.
Once installed, you simply plow your driveway to remove the snow. You can also use it on the road to scoop snow out of the way. However, this may require a special permit or authorization in some areas.
For those looking for a snow plow, the Detail K2 Universal Plow Kit would be an amazing choice. It’s 82” x 19” x 2”, which suits most truck and SUV models. It’s also easy to install and has a wireless controller to lower or raise the blade anytime. This is also made of heavy-duty steel with powder coating to resist corrosion.
6. Cover the driveway with a tarp
If you’re looking for an economical option to remove snow on your driveway, thick tarps will do. Simply lay the tarps on your driveway before snow falls. This way, the snow will not get in contact with your driveway.
Once you need to access your driveway, lift the tarp and fold it to the side. This will remove layers of snow in an instant. However, make sure that you’re using a durable material that won’t rip easily.
If there’s already a layer of snow, you can still lay a tarp on top of it. That way, you can prevent the ice from getting thicker and harder on your driveway.
7. Roll the snow like a mat
Lastly, you can roll the snow like how you’ll roll a lawn. While this requires manual work, it’s faster and not back-breaking as shoveling. Also, you can create a pathway on your driveway within seconds of rolling the snow like a haystack.
However, not all kinds of snow roll well. Slushy and fluffy snow doesn’t stick well and won’t create a roll. Overall, this method only works if the snow is compact (not ice-hard) and not too thick.
To roll snow, simply create a snowball, push it toward the snow, and start rolling. Slowly, you’ll create a larger roll as if you’re peeling the snow off your driveway.
How to prevent snow from accumulating on your driveway
Being prepared is crucial if you want to get through winter without breaking your back to remove the snow. Here are some ways to prevent thick snow and ice from piling up on your driveway:
- Pre-salt your driveway. Before the snow falls, it will help a lot if you prepare the pavement. As they say, “sow before the snow”. Simply sprinkle salt all over your driveway to create a layer that will prevent ice from freezing or accumulating. However, you should be careful as salt can kill nearby plants.
- Use salt-free and chloride-free deicers. If you don’t want to kill your plants, you can use a deicer that’s free from chloride or salt. It uses glycol, which is usually safe for living organisms and will cause minimal damage to concrete.
- Invest in a heated driveway system. If you have the extra budget, you should consider a heated driveway. The heating element is laid on the ground before pouring asphalt, concrete, or pavers. Once the snow starts falling, heating will kick in as temperature sensors detect lowering temperatures.
- Seal the cracks. The cracks on your driveway allow water to freeze into ice. When water freezes, it expands and makes the crack bigger. This can damage your driveway in the long run.
- Check your drainage. You should also check your driveway for drainage issues as you wouldn’t want salty slush to sit on your property for too long. If it happens, you’ll deal with hard ice as well as more damage to your property.
Final words
Knowing how to remove snow from driveway without a shovel will save you from back strain. You can now use leaf blowers, snow throwers, snow plow kits, and other equipment to clear your driveway efficiently. Unlike shoveling alone, these methods yield faster results with the least manual work and time spent.